A few months before her death in 1937 at the age of 75, Edith
Wharton wished she were forty years younger. It was not the regret
of lost opportunities or bad choices, or even the lament of old
age. This heroically energetic woman was still hungering for
experience: if younger, she could have gone to London to see the
coronation of George VI. At 75 she was long used to doing whatever
she wished, and made more use of that ability than most people;
yet, although she derived from the easiest and most fortunate of
backgrounds, she had not always had her own way. The life of Edith
Wharton is the story of a rich girl made good.

Edith Newbold Jones was born in New York on January 24th, 1862
to comfortably-off members of the exclusive …

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Articles on Wharton's works

4677Edith Wharton1Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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